Kyle in Fort Monroe, Virginia, says his family uses honyock for someone acting foolish or silly, especially politicians and bad drivers, and he wondered whether it carried older baggage. Variants include hunyak, hunyaker, and hunyokker. The word...
To be jonesing for something means to be craving it. The phrase arose in 1960’s drug culture, but beyond that, there are competing stories about its origin. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Jonesing” Hello, you...
A listener in Richmond, Virginia, is bothered by the overuse of the word gentleman, as when media outlets report that police have apprehended the gentleman suspected of committing a heinous crime. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
Awfully might seem like an awful choice for a positive adverb, as in awfully talented, but it makes sense given the history of awful. Once intended to mean “filled with awe,” it’s now a general intensifier. The process of semantic weakening has...
What does shambles mean? If your house is in shambles, it’s a mess, but before the 1920s, the word shambles referred to a butcher’s bloody bench. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Shambles” Hello, you have A...
Some of the world’s most famous writers had to support themselves with day jobs. Martha and Grant discuss well-known authors who toiled away at other trades. Also this week Eskimo kisses, the frozen Puerto Rican treat called a limber, how the...